Spring Wishes

Old Punxsutawney Phil may have predicted six more weeks of winter but here at our little place we're bursting with signs of spring. Birds are everywhere--happily singing, gobbling up the birdseed in the feeder, busily building nests (I had to put a stop to the one located on my front door wreath).

The first of the apple trees to blossom is the Ein Shemer. Hoping to have our first decent apple crop this year.

The peach trees are also starting to flower. It looks to be a bumper crop this year (as long as we don't get a late freeze). The Early Grande trees are the first to blossom.

Even the animals are basking in the warmer weather.

The Japanese magnolia is shedding her winter fur coat.

The spring bulbs are popping out from under their winter covering of mulch and leaves.

Indoors the seedlings are beginning to sprout.

The chickens are laying more eggs as the temperatures rise and the sun shines brighter. When we were out surveying the growth on things, I noticed some of the bees were swarming on the orange tree. The hive had just split. Jon was able to suit up and he and Jack were able to gather the swarm into an empty Fruity Pebbles box (how would you like to open up the box and find THAT prize in your cereal!?!) and then relocate them to a new hive the next day.

The sunshine and warmer weather are beckoning me to the garden but I remain far behind. I have another one down with the flu and I'm much better but not quite back to full farm strength. So I have things waiting to go in the ground. Hopefully they'll be understanding and grow nicely once they get out there despite my poor timing.